About Us

Our roots began 129 years ago, when Bernard and Patrick McDermott founded our original funeral home location in Carnegie, PA. The brothers, who were former horse and wagon heavy haulers, opened a funeral home location on what is today Island Avenue in McKees Rocks in 1905.

Once the project to raise Chartiers Avenue above creek level was completed, the business was moved into a new building located at 531 Chartiers Avenue in the business district of McKees Rocks.

Following the death of Patrick McDermott in 1917, Bernard E. "Barney" McDermott became active in the family funeral business with his father, Bernard. This father-son partnership continued until the death of the senior Bernard McDermott in 1935.

Striving to find a larger location to serve the growing community, Barney McDermott oversaw construction, completed in 1942, on a new building located at 1225 Chartiers Avenue in McKees Rocks. This location continues to be the main operating office of the McKees Rocks funeral home and the Kennedy Twp./Coraopolis funeral home.

During this time Barney McDermott operated as sole proprietor until 1952, when he made his sons, Bernard W. "Bill" McDermott and Patrick L. McDermott partners in the business. With his sons involved in the family business, they decided to expand. In 1953, only eleven years after the new building was occupied, a major addition was completed, consisting of a larger viewing room and a new chapel.

In order to better serve their growing community, the partnership purchased the Phillips family home in Kennedy Township community of Coraopolis, PA and, after a few renovations, opened their branch funeral home at 334 Forest Grove Road.

Barney McDermott died in 1980, the same year the business was incorporated. Bill, along with his brother Patrick continued the operations of both locations until Pat's untimely death in 1986.

In 1987 the Kennedy Twp/ Coraopolis funeral home location was renovated and nearly doubled in floor space with the addition of a large viewing room in the back of the building.

Bill McDermott's daughter, Patricia K. "Patti" McDermott became active in the family business in 1991 as a 4th generation funeral director.

Another large addition was completed in 2004 on the Williams Drive side of the Kennedy Twp. building, a viewing room was added and other updates to the building.

Patti McDermott's daughter, Caroline Keefe-McDermott, a 5th generation funeral director, earned her funeral director license and joined the business in 2004. However in 2009, Caroline left the business to pursue other opportunities for her and her husband in Florida.

Bill McDermott died in 2005 after more than 60 years of service to the funeral industry and the local community. Upon his death, Patti McDermott became the owner of the funeral home until her sudden and unexpected death in 2010.

Caroline Keefe-McDermott inherited ownership of the funeral home after her mother's death, which was then sold to a longtime employee, A. Timothy "Tim" Wilt, who joined the McDermott Funeral Home as a first generation funeral director in 1986.

The interior of the main location in McKees Rocks was completely renovated in 2011 which included extensive building and electrical updates as well as updates to the décor.

Tim Wilt's son, Ryan T. Wilt, who joined the business in 2009, earned his funeral director license in 2013.

Tim and Ryan are pleased to continue operation of the McDermott Funeral Home as a local family-owned business and to carry on the legacy, tradition and reputation the McDermott family worked so hard to earn and build in the community.